Tubular knitting device



Nov. 10, 1953 G. A. CARLSON TUBULAR KNITTING DEVICE Filed June 9, 1951 K m m w.

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Patented Nov. 10. 1953 I TUBULAR. KNITTING DEVICE Gustav A. Carlson, Des Plaines; 111., assignor to The Boye Needle Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application J une 9, 1951, Serial No. 2301785 Claims.

This invention relates to a tubular knitting device, and more particularly that type of knitting device in which a tube is equipped at one end with spaced posts or projections on which the stitches are formed.

In the use of a knitting spool or tube having spaced posts at one end, it is extremely difiicult to gather with a needle the lowermost thread for drawing it over the post. The needle often tends to pierce the yarn and to tear it. Sometimes the needle pierces additional threads which are not to be drawn over the post. Above all, the task of locating the lowermost thread with the needle point is an arduous one.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tubular knitting device having a structure which facilitates the gathering of the lowermost thread without diiiiculty and with ease, whereby the knitting can be rapidly and accurately accomplished. A further object is to provide a tubular knitting member having posts at one end thereof with grooves therein adjacent the posts for bringing the point of the needle below the yarn and for guiding the needle point outwardly in the looping operation. A further object is to provide a knitting tube having a flared base and a collar projecting therefrom at one end, the collar being provided with grooves lying adjacent knitting posts. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown in an illustrated em bodiment by the accompanying drawing, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a knitting device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side view in elevation; Fig. 3, a top plan view; Fig. l, an enlarged sectional view of the head taken on line ld of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, an enlarged sectional View, the section being taken as indicated at line 55 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6, a broken perspective view illustrating the knitting operation and the use of the grooves in such operation.

In the illustration given, It designates a tubular member which preferably has a flared base I I. The upper portion of the tubular member is provided with an end wall or enlarged head I2. A passage It extends through the member Ill and through the head or flange [2, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. Projecting from the end wall or head I2 are a plurality of prongs I4. In the specific illustration given, there are four prongs or posts and each of the posts is provided with a notched portion 55. The notches provide a shoulder It at the upper end of the post which is useful in retaining the stitch upon the post while the loop is being drawn over the post. The posts I l may be formed integrally with the head I2 or may be inset therein, as shown-in Fig. 4.

In knitting with such a structure, it is found that the knitting needle such as illustrated by the numeral ll often cannot be located effectively under the thread which is to be looped. Sometimes the needle pierces the portion of the yarn thread and tears it. At other times, the needle passes through adjacent threads and an unsatisfactory loop is produced. The knitter oftenhas to make repeated eiforts to locate the thread and this increases the time-required for knittingand makes the knitting somewhat tedious. *I have discovered that by placing a groove l8 along one side of each post I l, that the needle point is guided to the loop and simultaneously the point of the needle is guided under the loop. Thus the groove serves not only as a means for readily finding the thread but also for engaging it therebelow and carrying it bodily over the post. There is no opportunity for the needle thus to pierce the thread. Further, knitting can be carried on by this means without the knitter looking at the knitting device. The groove enables the knitter to reach the proper location by feel and she can thus readily determine when the needle enters the groove. vI prefer to employ a groove I8 on each side of each post, as illustrated, so that the device is thus adapted to left-hand knitting as well as right-hand knitting. The grooves [8 are generally in a radial direction and extend transversely, at least part way, of the head or end wall l2. It is suflicient if the groove be long enough to extend under the thread and slightly forwardly thereof so that the knitter can locate the groove behind the thread and then drawing the needle point forwardly to pick up the thread.

The flared base portion II of the knitting device permits the device to rest upon the base, as illustrated in Fig. 1, while also the tapered handle tends to guide the hand and fingers forwardly against the head I2. Thus a firm holding of the spool is brought about with relatively light pressure from the hand and the knitting operation is facilitated.

Operation In the operation of the device, yarn thread is drawn about the posts I4 in the usual manner and the needle I! is inserted below the thread to engage the loop therebelow and to draw it over the post. This form of knitting is wellknown and a detailed description is believed unnecessary, The yarn thread is indicated by the numeral l9 and in Fig. 6 a loop of the thread is shown being engaged by the point of the needle I] and the point of the needle is shown being guided by the groove 18. As the needle moves outwardly, the loop is enlarged and then drawn over the post I4 adjacent the groove in question. The loose end of the thread is then drawn toward the next post I4 and a similar operation is there performed, the needle being placed behind the thread and into the groove i8 and then drawn forwardly to enlarge the loop and to draw it over the second post, and so on. A knitted tube 20 is formed by the above-described operation.

While in the foregoing specification I have set forth a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that such details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A knitting device, comprising a tubular member equipped at one end with a head flange and a plurality of spaced posts extending from said flange, said flange having a relatively narrow transverse groove located adjacent each of said posts.

2. A knitting device, comprising a tubular member equipped at one end with a head flange and a plurality of spaced posts extending from said flange, said flange having a pair of grooves extending transversely of the flange and adjacent each post.

3. A knitting device, comprising a tubular member having a flared skirt portion and an enlarged head portion, said head portion of the tubular member extending outwardly and being tapered downwardly and being provided with a plurality of spaced-apart grooves, and posts extending in spaced relation from said head member with each post lying addacent one of said grooves.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which there are four posts and each is provided on its outer side with a longitudinally-extending notch providing a shoulder near its upper end.

5. In a knitting device, a tubular member equipped at one end with an end wall having a plurality of spaced-apart transverse grooves therein, and a plurality of posts extending from said end wall, one post between each two adiacent grooves, said grooves extending both inwardly and outwardly of said posts.

GUSTAV A. CARLSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 289,578 Stewart Dec. 4, 1883 1,318,465 Seifarth Oct, 14, 1919 1,318,604 Schneider Oct. 14, 1919 2,508,834 Miller May 23, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 521,894 Germany Mar. 27, 1931 

